Drowning in Shadow
by Draconicmaw
Summary: Yugi is used to drowning in her sister's shadow. Too bad it's so lonely in the shade. (AU where Yugi and Atem are females and sisters, and also where I put Yugi through an unrealistic amount of emotional torture.)
1. Drowning in Shadow

**I thought I would lump this whole story into a single one shot. Make everybody's experience a little smoother XD. I like genderbending characters a lot, so characters in the Yu-Gi-Oh! DM fandom should feel relieved that I haven't done it to them as much as I would like to.**

**Also, I'm feeling a little self-conscious on how good this is, but I still hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing.**

It'd happened before, but it hadn't hurt so much.

Joey and Yugi were laying on their stomachs on the bed.

**FIGHT**

The grainy characters bounded about, ignored the laws of physics in their little pixelated world. Joey was by all means a button-masher. Yugi had more finesse, her teeth sinking into her lower lip in concentration as she perfectly executed combo upon combo.

**K.O.**

"Awww, come _on !_" Joey shouted, tossing the controller onto the blankets. He laughed with disbelief.

Yugi snickered and nudged him with her elbow. "Can't beat the queen."

"You've had _way _too much practice with this game."

She lifted a shoulder. "Grandpa's really good at it, and my goal was always to beat him. He could thrash you on _any _of the characters."

Joey slung an arm around her shoulders and gave her a wicked, scalp-chafing noogie. "Yeah, yeah, admit it, you're just a natural."

Cheek smooshed against his chest, Yugi blushed, squirmed against him, yowled like a wet cat.

Suddenly, he let her go. Yugi looked up.

Atem had leaned her head into the room, one of her fine eyebrows arched. She was all perfectly wild hair and bronzed skin, pronounced curves and sultry eyes. "Joey, you never have any grace when it comes to losing."

He chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, Yugi's just too damn good."

"Practice more. Maybe then 'the queen' will fall from grace." She retracted herself with a chuckle, padded down the hall.

A few beats of silence filled only with the tinny sound of video game music.

"Hey, Yug'...?"

Yugi hummed, picked at the blanket. "Hm?"

"Do you think Atem is way out of my league? I mean, I like her a lot. Like, a lot a lot."

The hard lump precipitated instantaneously in Yugi's throat. "I… I don't know, Joe."

Later that night, Yugi cried herself to sleep. But at least her eyes weren't swollen when she had to go to school the next day.

* * *

Yugi saw it all. How Tean looked at Atem. When he laughed, he looked right to Yugi's older sister, not Yugi.

She'd read somewhere that that was a psychological sign of attraction.

But she didn't need that. After so many times, she could recognize the pull deep in her gut.

She broke it off later that night, when Tean was pawing at her clothing in front of Yugi's apartment.

She couldn't lay with him in bed knowing that he was in love with another woman. Especially when the other woman was her sister.

* * *

Duke had been good at hiding it.

But he apparently couldn't keep it in when they were making love.

Yugi had immediately rolled out of bed. She was shaking. Her sweat turned cold. Oh, god, she was going to throw up.

"Yugi, wait!" Duke cried, wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

She wrenched herself out of his hold. "N-No," she sobbed into her other hand. Never had she felt so used.

"I didn't mean to do it!" He scrambled out of bed, the sheet tangling around his ankles. "I didn't mean to say it!"

"N-No!" she wailed. "G-Go! I don't -" a choking sob "- I don't ever want to see you again!"

"Yugi-" he reached out to touch her again.

"No!" she shrieked, swatting his hand, clawing it, staggering away from him. "Just go, Duke!" She curled into herself, cradled her vulnerable, naked body. "Just go."

* * *

Yugi had always been to terms with it.

Yugi may be pretty, but Atem was _gorgeous _. Yugi was smart, but Atem was _brilliant _. Yugi was funny, but Atem was _witty _.

She just couldn't compare.

So maybe it was time to stop trying.

* * *

Yugi pushed her reading glasses up, but they almost immediately slid back down.

Somewhere in the code, there was a bug.

But where to find it…

"Yugi," her boss called, leaning into her secluded office cubicle.

She looked up from her computer, over the rim of her glasses. "Yes?"

"We have a meeting about to start in ten minutes."

Yugi frowned, glanced back at her computer. "Okay, well, I'll try to get this bug done beforehand."

"No," James said. "You need to get ready for the meeting."

Yugi frowned at him. "I'm getting paid to fix these bugs."

"That's true, but _the_ Seto Kaiba is attending this meeting. I need you prepared."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Seto Kaiba…?"

"_ Yes _. Now chop-chop. I need you to be able to recite the summarizations of the programs from memory."

Yugi beamed. "Easy-peasy, Jimmy," she chirped. She collected portfolios and flash drives, neatly stacked them in ascending chronological order.

Her heart thrummed excitedly.

Seto Kaiba. _The _Seto Kaiba. She'd always admired his work, both in the Duel Monsters professional circuits and as a genius programmer and engineer. It was with her best efforts that she tried to keep her admiration to a professional level, but with limited success.

She straightened her shirt and smoothed out the wrinkles. Today, there would be no mess-ups, and she would keep it strictly professional.

Suddenly, she regretted not asking why exactly Seto Kaiba was attending their meeting. She blanched. Was he going to buy out their company? Buy their software?

She tapped a finger on her lip.

No. He'd have nothing to gain from buying their company, and any software they were developing he could easily replicate, but on a grander scale.

He was famous. Ridiculously so. Maybe this was all a publicity ploy.

Yes, Yugi could see the headlines now.

Seto Kaiba, aiding small programming company.

Yugi smiled to herself, gathered up the folders and the lanyard of flash drives.

"Here we go," she whispered to herself, and she marched to the conference room.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was as intimidating a person in real life as he was on television. He was tall, at least six-foot-three, and he easily dwarfed Yugi (which was not exactly an impressive feat).

He declined handshakes in true Kaiba style, and sat at the conference table silently, fingers steepled and pressed to his lips.

Someone had prepared a slideshow for Yugi (based on her portfolios for each program, so it wasn't too difficult to follow their flow). Kaiba asked no questions, barely even moved throughout the meeting. But the other two men frequently raised their hands (but mostly just blurted) to question Yugi about her methods and the programming languages used for each application.

(Yugi briefly wondered that, if she had a penis, they would've shown a _smidge _more respect while she talked. After all, female professionals in the field were few and far between.)

James nodded along, supported her through every word. He may get demanding and impatient, but he valued her work like no other.

"See, this is why I chose you as our lead programmer and manager," James said, and he clapped her on the shoulder as she sat down.

She smiled in thanks.

The meeting continued, even going through subjects such as finances and product dissemination. That, Yugi knew much less of, but she still sat attentive, even jotted down notes for information that might be useful for future meetings.

Every once and awhile, her gaze flicked to Kaiba.

His eyes were even bluer in person.

His gaze locked with hers.

She tore her eyes away, focussed on the presentation. She tried to steadily breath the heat in her cheeks away.

_Focus, Yugi. Stay professional._

Not too long after, the meeting ended.

Yugi eagerly stood, adjusted her stack of portfolios.

She gathered them up, but James tapped her on her shoulder. She looked up at him. James tilted his head towards Kaiba and his entourage. "Help me say farewell to our… guests."

Yugi nodded, wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.

She approached the group. The two nameless men eagerly shook her hand.

"It's admirable how much you've accomplished with such limited resources," one even said. "Incredible, even."

She beamed. "Thank you! I'm grateful for your interest in our company."

And then she came to Seto Kaiba. Prepared to simply incline her head, Yugi was surprised when he extended a hand.

Awed, she looked up at him as she grasped his hand for a firm shake. "Thank you for hearing us out, Mr. Kaiba."

His eyes flicked down, to the hollow of her throat. The corner of his lip twitched. "The Dark Magician. I'm guessing you're a fan of spellcasters."

Yugi touched her necklace, The Dark Magician's scepter on a black chain. Her smile grew so wide it ached. "Yes. My deck is spell-caster-centric."

"Hn."

Yugi giggled. (It was safe to say she became a completely different person when it came to her favorite games.) "I know you're partial to dragons. But, everyone's got their thing, right?"

Another lip twitch. "I suppose so."

* * *

It was Atem's day off, so she brought Yugi take-out from their favorite restaurant. Yugi damn near climbed up the cubicle wall to snatch the bag out of her taller, older sister's hand.

Atem laughed, a beautiful sound, a sound that caught the attention of everyone in the office.

"Hungry?"

"You bet your ass I'm hungry!" Yugi chirped. She opened the bag, buried her nose in the opening and took a deep breath. She melted. "Oh my god. I swear they put crack in this stuff."

Atem laughed again, leaned against the cubicle wall. She tugged on Yugi's unruly hair. "How was your day?"

Yugi had a chicken tender hanging from between her teeth. "Pretty good. I got quite a few of the bugs worked out."

They continued to talk about the day, and Atem vented about drama at the museum.

Suddenly, Atem's magenta eyes widened. She looked down to Yugi, who was scraping up the last of her dipping sauce.

Yugi blinked up at her. "What?"

"Seto Kaiba is here!" she hissed.

Yugi jolted. "Crap."

He'd wanted the portfolio from their latest product. Yugi totally forgot about it.

She balled up her bag and threw it into the trash under her desk. She scrambled through the portfolios stashed in her filing cabinet and snatched the corresponding flash drive from the small organizery/utility box she stored them in.

She was ready just in time; Seto Kaiba was towering over her cubicle. And her. She beamed up at him.

His lip twitched.

She lifted the portfolio up, the flash drive attached to a lanyard shut under the front cover.

He accepted it with an small nod.

Then he saw Atem.

And whatever had been there crumbled.

After all, Yugi wasn't the only one with a celebrity crush; the only thing that beat normal Atem was an Atem that reciprocated the attraction.

Yugi's smile fell away as the two fell into an easy conversation, rife with sexual tension.

Yugi turned back to her work.

Atem had to leave, eventually, and Seto Kaiba watched her go, a full-fledged grin on his face.

* * *

"You know he didn't have to physically pick up those portfolios. He could've just sent one of his grunts to do it," Grandpa said as Yugi bustled about the kitchen. A couple of days a week they visited one another for dinner.

Yugi lifted a shoulder. "That's true. And maybe the first couple of times he did it so see me. But since he met Atem, he's all but begging to know where she is. Except that man doesn't just _ask questions _like a normal human being and instead just gets this intense look on his face like he can compel the answers out of me with his gaze alone."

Grandpa laughed. "He's a man used to getting everything he wants. What more do you expect?"

"Some basic modicum of social skills. That's what more I expect," Yugi snorted.

"Well, I wouldn't say that that exactly means he doesn't visit to see _you _anymore, Yugi."

Yugi sighed. She couldn't count how many times they've had this conversation through the years. "He's vying for Atem."

"You can't know that."

"Except I _do _, Pawpaw," she emphasized (and even called him what she did when she was a little girl. That usually made him more cooperative). "I do know. I've been through this too many times to_not _know."

"Oh, it hasn't been _that _many times."

Yugi gave him a pointed, droll look. She lifted a hand to start counting off on her fingers. "Joey, Tean, Bakura, Duke, Mako, Tristan, Robert, Dean, Francis-" (Was it cheating to count kids from school she had crushes on? Yugi didn't think so.)

"Okay, okay, I get it. But it hasn't happened with _every _man you've been interested in."

"No, because some of the guys I dated in college never got to meet her. And even though Ryou didn't fall in love with Atem, we still ended up breaking up because we weren't compatible."

Just Yugi's luck.

"And I'm not mad at her for it, y'know? It's not her fault." Yugi turned her back to attend to the stove. "It's not like she does it on purpose." She sighed. "She just… _shines _brighter than I do. She's like a supernova and I'm just some dwarf planet on the edge of orbit. Not really that interesting in comparison." She tilted her head to the side. "Or maybe she's like the name brand and I'm the off brand. I'm good in a pinch, but everyone prefers the name brand."

"Oh, Yugi, don't talk about yourself like that."

Yugi shook her head. "It's fine, Grandpa. It's true… and I'm… I'm used to it."

"I'm sure you'll find _someone _."

Yugi lifted her shoulder again as she began to plate dinner. "It's not that big of a deal. I'm not really all that worried about a relationship right now."

Later that night, Yugi squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to think about how empty her bed - and her heart - felt.

* * *

Once again, the day Atem visited coincided with the day Kaiba came for a portfolio. Yugi tried to block them out and get some work done, but her ears couldn't miss it when Kaiba invited (more like challenged) Atem to dinner.

Yugi saw it every time she scrolled through any of her social media accounts. Atem in chic cocktail dresses, Seto Kaiba begrudgingly in the background of her numerous selfies, though, every time, he looked at her with such adoration that it made Yugi's chest ache.

_She _wanted that. She wanted someone to look at her like that.

But she was happy for Atem. Atem deserved a man like that.

Yugi stopped looking at her social media apps so often.

"Seto hasn't beaten me in a duel," Atem said smugly. She nudged her shoulder into his chest.

He sneered at her, half-playfully but wholly competitive.

Yugi chuckled. She could imagine Kaiba's frustration; he was the Duel Monsters World Champion, he could beat anybody, and yet he couldn't manage to beat a woman who didn't even play professionally.

Yugi leveled Atem an equally smug look. "And you can't beat me." She shrugged. "I guess that makes me even better than the Duel Monsters World Champion."

Kaiba immediately challenged her to a duel. And lost.

* * *

It was a family dinner; their mother, Grandpa (who was their father's father), Yugi, and Atem was late. It wasn't too rare that she got caught up in something at the museum.

Yugi was bubbling with giddiness. She couldn't keep it in, couldn't wait for Atem to arrive.

"Guess what?" Yugi blurted, practically bouncing in her seat.

"What?" Mom asked. She smiled at her daughter's childlike antics.

Yugi nearly squealed. "I finally get to program my own game! James accepted my proposal!"

Grandpa's grin split his face. "That's wonderful, Yugi! I know you've been working towards this for a long time."

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. "I start on it -"

Atem burst in the front door, tears smeared black with mascara on her face.

Yugi feared the worst until Atem raised her hand. A diamond-crusted ring clung to her finger.

"Seto and I are engaged!"

* * *

Yugi was Maid of Honor at their wedding.

Yugi would have accepted no less.

* * *

"Son of a bitch," Yugi hissed.

It was a hot summer day in Domino. The sun pelted the asphalt unforgivingly, and sweat made Yugi's shirt cling to her back.

In other words, it was a _great _day to have a flat tire.

The last lug nut was obstinate; no matter how much weight Yugi put into the wrench, she couldn't get it to budge.

She had everything prepared for such an occasion; spare tire, lug wrenches, a jack, wheel wedges.

But, _apparently _, preparation didn't matter if you didn't have the upper body strength for the job.

She tried one last time to twist the lug nut off, and, with a grunt of exertion, collapsed back against the vehicle. Her legs sprawled out on the sidewalk.

At least it was on the passenger side, so she didn't have to worry about getting hit by a fucking car.

She lifted her water bottle to her lips, took deep gulps of it, and it crinkled noisily in the thick, humid heat.

She could call Grandpa. But _he _didn't exactly have what Yugi would call 'upper body strength,' either.

And then a shadow fell over her. "Need help?"

She looked up. And then had to look higher.

"Uh, hello."

_The man was a fucking giant _.

Dark eyes blinked down at her, and his blond hair shone almost painfully bright in the sun.

She looked to her flat tire, the lug wrench still protruding from the hubcap. "Yes, actually." She looked back up at him and beamed. "I'm going to politely guess that a behemoth like you has the upper body strength that I lack?"

He smiled, something small but still kind and amused. "I'd hope that your guess is correct."

He knelt down next to her. He wore a thin muscle shirt, and _damn _did he have muscles.

Ah, hope was bright!

"I've got all the lug nuts except for one." She jabbed a finger at the lug nut in question. "_ That _stubborn bastard has been giving me fits." The stranger nodded. Yugi extended a hand. "I'm Yugi, and thanks bunches for the help."

The man accepted it, and his huge hand dwarfed her own.

Was he even out in the same weather as her? His hands weren't sweaty at _all _.

"Rafael. And it's no problem."

He strained a moment against the lug wrench, but, after some muscling (oh damn, what fine muscling he did) he got the lug nut off.

"Sweet baby Jesus," Yugi gasped. "Thank you!"

Rafael actually laughed at that. He moved to pull the hubcap off.

Yugi actually swatted his hand. "I can do the rest! You've already been such a big help. I don't want to take up any more of your time, Rafael."

"Don't worry about it," he murmured back. "I wasn't really doing anything, anyway." He pulled the hubcap off.

Yugi chuckled. "Okay, who am I to argue with one of the Titans of Greek myth. Which one are you, by the way? Prometheus? Chronos? Atlas?"

He laughed again. It was deep sound, from his belly, and something about the way he did it told her that he didn't do it often.

Yugi's grin widened. "Thanks again, by the way. As you can see, I was in a bit of pinch."

Rafael switched the tires. (Holy shit, it should be illegal for someone to have biceps like that!) He glanced at her, and when she realized she was caught ogling, she looked at some place across the street, her cheeks hot from more than just the relentless sun.

"You don't have someone for this? A boyfriend or something?" he asked, replacing the hubcap.

Okay, that was _obvious _fishing. Yugi chuckled, adjusted her ponytail. "Uh, no. Single pringle, here. I thought about calling my grandfather, but he might actually be shrimpier than myself."

Rafael chuckled, and he twisted the lugs back on. "I wouldn't exactly call you shrimpy."

"Well, that's high praise from someone as stacked as you." She grinned. "Or you're just trying to get into my good graces, as if you aren't already."

His dark eyes peered up at her. "Maybe it's both."

The job was done, and Yugi lowered the jack and stored everything away in her trunk.

"I know I keep saying it, but, seriously, thanks," Yugi said, extending her hand again. Rafael shook it. "I don't know how I can repay you."

He shrugged, smiling that understated smile. "You could give me your number."

Yugi gasped, scandalized, but she was already digging in her bag for pen and paper. "That was your intention all along! I bet you do this all day, rescuing damsels in distress like some Herculean swain." She found her sticky note pad and quickly scribbled her number down.

"Guilty," he intoned, voice thick with amusement. He seemed surprised when Yugi actually handed him the sticky note.

"Well, thanks again, Rafael. You're my savior!" She held her thumb and pinky out, her other fingers folded, and wiggled her hand by her ear. "Call me," she mouthed as she climbed into her car.

As she pulled away from the curb, she waved her hand out the window. In her rearview window, she saw him there, standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed, and - what was the phrase?

Oh, yeah, _grinning like an idiot_.

* * *

Later that evening, Yugi was sitting on her couch in just her underwear and a T-shirt. It was _way _too hot for anything else, so she languished in the path of her fan.

"I really need to get that damn AC fixed," she muttered to herself.

She jumped when her phone started ringing. She picked it up. She frowned. She didn't recognize the number.

She shrugged and answered anyway. "Hello, Yugi Muto speaking."

"Wow," a deep voice on the other end rumbled. "I honestly didn't expect this."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Rafael?"

"Uh, yes," he replied.

Yugi's smile made her cheeks feel like they were about to split. "My hero!" Then she frowned. "You didn't expect this? What, did you think I would give you a fake number?"

A sheepish chuckle. "Yes."

Yugi gasped, once again pretending to be scandalized. "Why ever?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but you're incredibly beautiful. You're way out of my league," he said.

Yugi's cheeks grew hot. "Well, I could say the same thing about you…"

Rafael chuckled. "Sure."

Yugi pouted. "Hey, it's the truth! If you keep offending me, mister, I may be inclined to hang up," she blustered, but made sure her tone was playful enough to make clear that that was no where near her intention.

"Sorry, my bad," Rafael said. "I was just surprised when you said you were single."

"Well, I wasn't surprised in the least. I saw it coming a million miles away," Yugi replied, blase.

Rafael laughed again, and Yugi's stomach did funny things in her belly. "Well, I honestly didn't plan this far ahead. I expected to have been calling a mortuary or something."

Yugi picked at the hem of her shirt. "You could start it off by inviting me out to dinner."

"Yugi, would you like to go out for dinner?"

"Yes, Rafael, I would love to."

* * *

"So, what do you do?" Yugi asked, and she took a drink of her water. She left little pink lipstick smudges on her straw.

"I'm a bodyguard," he answered. "I'm also a bit of a mechanic, but that's just a hobby."

"Bodyguard," Yugi echoed. "Fitting. You could probably just break attackers in half and call it good enough."

He laughed again.

Yugi suddenly wondered whether, if you found them valuable enough, you could make currency out of laughs.

"What about you?" Rafael turned the question back on her. His dark eyes were alight with interest and intrigue, as if she would tell him all the forbidden knowledge in the universe.

The attention made Yugi preen and tremble with nerves.

"I'm a computer programmer and software developer," Yugi answered. "And I'm also a bit of a duelist, though that's just a hobby," she parroted his phrasing back to him with an impish grin.

"A duelist?" Rafael repeated, and he smiled. "I guessed as much, with that Dark Magician necklace you were wearing. Where did you get it?"

Yugi lifted a shoulder and her hands in a comical shrug. "No clue. My sister got it for me. We have a matching set."

Rafael smiled, though this seemed a little solemn. "Are you close with your sister?"

Yugi laughed. "Close? We're attached at the hip. My grandpa used to swear that we might as well have been the same person. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

Yes, solemn. "I used to."

Yugi held a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

Rafael shrugged. "It happened a long time ago."

Yugi shook her head. "That doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. I lost my father when I was five," she murmured. "I barely remember him, but… but I still miss him, you know?"

Rafael nodded. "I was thirteen. I lost them all in one fell swoop. My sister, my brother, my parents." Yugi could see his anguish in the slight furrowing of his brow.

She reached forward, set her hand on top of his. It was tiny in comparison, but she still rubbed her thumb over his scarred knuckles. "Do you have any distant relatives?"

Rafael's head moved, but Yugi wasn't sure if it was a negative or affirmative. "Yes, but we're estranged. After the accident, they just came crawling to get some of my parents' money."

Yugi's lips twisted. "You're better off without them." Her eyes widened when she realized how badly that sentence could be misinterpreted. She leaned forward. "I mean the money-grubbers. Not…"

Rafael chuckled. "I get what you mean." He sighed. "I apologize. This probably isn't the best conversation for a first date."

Yugi snickered. "I've found that there's _never _a 'best' conversation for a first date. Trust me, I know."

Rafael arched a blond eyebrow. "Have you dated a lot?"

Yugi decided to be honest. "More than I'd like." She chuckled sheepishly. "I have _really _bad luck with relationships. Most of them ended fairly quickly, and the ones that didn't end quickly went over like a dumpster fire."

Rafael nodded at that. "What was your worst breakup?"

Yugi snapped her finger. "That one's easy. His name was Duke. We broke up because he called someone else's name during sex. My sister's name."

Rafael sucked air in through his teeth. "Ouch. Was he cheating with her?"

Yugi snorted. "No. Atem would never do that to me."

Rafael paused. "Atem? As in Atem Kaiba?"

"The one and only." Yugi felt herself droop. The advantage she thought she had… never existed.

She hated feeling like she was competing against an opponent who wasn't even playing the game.

"I've met her before. My boss does dealings with the Kaiba family," Rafael said. "I should have realized that you two were related. You look too much alike."

Yugi laughed, a little strained, and scratched the back of her neck. "That's us."

Rafael grinned a little. "Well, I'm glad it was the pretty sister I found on the side of the road with a flat tire."

Yugi blushed and swatted at him. It wasn't the first time a man had said that to her, but she hoped that, this time, it wasn't a lie.

* * *

After their third date, Rafael drove her home.

It was Yugi's first time on a motorcycle. It was terrifying, exhilarating. She loved it.

They stood on the doorstep on Yugi's apartment building.

"I had a great time, Rafael," she played with the lapels on his leather jacket. "I was wondering… if you wanted to keep doing this." She blushed heavily. "Because I do."

His big hand cupped her cheek, brushed through her wind-whipped hair. She leaned into the touch. He smiled that small, private smile Yugi was becoming so fond of. "Of course."

"Kiss me?" She asked quietly, as she figured it would be a little rude to climb up him to take what she wanted.

They both meant it to be a small, chaste, goodbye kiss. But then it became gently mouthing, lips moving and hands holding and grasping. Rafael's hair was as soft as it looked, and his body as hard.

When Yugi moaned (a little kittenish mewl of a moan that left her flushing with embarrassment), Rafael pulled away and simply rested his forehead against hers.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He whispered, husky.

Yugi nodded, tilted her head up to steal one last kiss. "Yeah, okay." They reluctantly withdrew from one another. "Ride safe."

"Will do. Now get that sweet little ass of yours inside. I want to know you're safe before I go."

Yugi laughed and blushed harder. And she wiggled her butt playfully as she ascended the steps and entered the vestibule.

Her heart pounded hard into the night.

* * *

She lost count of their dates. Sometimes, they saw each other every night of the week.

Tension was building between them. Hot, achy, the kind that made Yugi's knees weak and her hands tremble. The kisses got longer and it was harder to pull away when the night was through.

So, Yugi invited Rafael to stay over.

They didn't really make it past the kitchen.

Yugi was sitting on the peninsula, and her thighs ached for how wide she had to spread them to accommodate Rafael. They were just making out, heavy petting, but Yugi's heart trilled with anxiety.

Rafael was kissing down her neck. "Listen-" she began, but her breath caught when he sucked on a particularly sensitive part of her neck. "Uhn, Rafael," she breathed his name out, felt her thighs jump a little when be teethed her skin. "I'm not… not ready for sex."

"That's okay," he said, voice husky and growling. "I just want to touch you. Can I?"

Oh goodness. "Yes," she whimpered, "if I get to touch you back." Her hand slid to the front of his pants.

"Deal."

She spent a good part of the night with either his hand or his head between her legs.

* * *

Yugi's head was on his chest, her hand laying on his sternum. He was snoring lightly, but the rumble of it in his chest was comforting.

She marveled at the skin-on-skin contact. It'd been a long time since she laid with a man like this. She craned her neck back, looked at his sleeping face, lips parted and hair tousled from her clenching hands. He had a little (tiny, really) scar on his left eyebrow from a childhood injury, and a few more dotted his chest and back from his life as a bodyguard.

He was so sturdy, so sure.

Under those stoic edges, he was soft and kind and warm.

Her heart fluttered.

She loved him. She'd never felt so intensely for anyone.

She laid her head back down and stared at the glow of muted morning light on the pale walls.

And she was afraid.

* * *

Rafael didn't have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving, so Yugi invited him to the family dinner Seto and her mother were planning.

He accepted the invitation, and her family was abuzz with gossip about the elusive boyfriend they had yet to meet. (Apparently, Seto threatened to make the man 'disappear' if he didn't meet Seto's standards, and Yugi's heart warmed when she realized that her brother-in-law really cared about her happiness.)

The whole drive to the Kaiba manor, Yugi was fraught with nerves.

Rafael would reach over, hold her hand, smile reassuringly at her. Her own smile trembled.

Rafael didn't realize it, but it was a make-it-or-break-it moment for him.

Yugi didn't know if she could handle it if she had to let him go.

Roland accepted the car keys when they pulled into the huge circle drive.

Rafael touched her cheek, carded his fingers through her hair. (She loved that he loved her hair so much.) "Relax, baby," he murmured, "It'll all be fine."

She laid her hand over his, traced the scars on his knuckles with her thumb, and wanted so desperately to believe him.

* * *

Seto and Atem instantly recognized him, and they shook his hand. Next came Grandpa, who smiled brightly but still gave Rafael a stern glare. Mom gave him a hug, and asked Yugi whether or not she broke into the zoo to steal a bear herself or if she paid someone to do it for her. Mokuba, Seto's younger brother, gave the man a wary handshake. If looks could kill, Mokuba would have been a murderer.

(That's when Yugi realized Mokuba's crush on her; before, she had thought that he simply saw her as an older sister.)

Dinner was comfortable, and Yugi's family asked them all about how they met and what Rafael does for a living.

Seto was pissed about the flat tire story. "You should have called me," he grumbled, and Atem talked him down in the way only Atem could.

Under the table, Yugi and Rafael held each other's hands.

* * *

Yugi was mixing the mousse. Atem was pulling pies from the double-dutch oven. Mom was just watching.

"You're all grown up," she had said, "I'm done with Thanksgivings. Time to pass the buck to you, girls."

"I really like Rafael," Mom said, swirling her wine in her glass.

Atem nodded. "As do I."

Yugi smiled at them. "I'm glad."

"When's the wedding?" Mom asked teasingly.

Yugi gasped at her. "Woah! Hold your horses, crazy lady!"

Atem cocked a brow. "It's a good question. You should see the way he looks at you, Yugi. It's like you hung the stars and the moon in his sky."

Yugi blushed. She hadn't noticed, but she'd definitely pay more attention now.

* * *

Atem stood up at the table after dessert. "Seto and I have an announcement to make…"

Mom gasped, slammed her hands on the table.

"I'm pregnant."

Yugi squealed into her hands. Rafael laughed, wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

She muffled her next shriek in his shirt.

His big hand petted her hair, and she looked up at him. The tender light she found there, in his dark, solemn eyes took her breath away.

* * *

That night, they made love for the first time.

Rafael had her folded in half, her legs hooked over his arms.

"You're so damn beautiful."

It'd been so long - it was so _good _-

Yugi panted, clawed at his back. His eyes drank her in, and the intense gaze turned her insides to hot, trembling jelly.

"_ Yugi _," he growled. "Yugi, Yugi, Yugi." Her name was a broken chant.

"Mm, mm, Raf-Rafael…" She tried to kiss him, but she was breathing too heavily; she just ended up panting hotly against his lips and jaw, weakly mouthed his skin.

"I love you," he gasped, pressed his forehead against her temple. "I-I love you so much."

Yugi wanted to respond. She was too overwhelmed; she could only get his name out alongside her mewling moans.

Neither of them could hold on too long. Rafael rocked her into the mattress with his last thrusts, and her spine bowed hard with overstimulation. Their final moans drew out like the ecstasy they clung to.

He held himself above her, elbows trembling.

She reached up, fingers quivering, to caress his face. She tried to catch her breath, but gave up.

"I… I love you, too."

He laughed. "That's good… it just… came out. But it's true."

Yugi giggled and buried her face in his neck.

* * *

They were walking down the sidewalk, and, in typical Yugi-fashion, her foot caught on an uneven edge and she tripped.

Big arms banded around her, and Rafael lifted her up and set her back on her feet.

She panted, looked up at him with big eyes. "Thank you for once again saving the damsel in distress."

Rafael smiled down at her, traced a calloused finger along the edge of her face to push her hair away. "It was my pleasure."

"I'm sure," Yugi murmured. "I feel like you get a particular kick out if doing it."

"I do," he said quietly.

Yugi snorted at him, and they continued walking for a little bit, hands entwined. And then Rafael stopped them again.

"And I'd…" he paused, lifted his gaze to hers, "... I'd like to continuing doing it for the rest of our lives." His eyes searched her face. "If you'll have me."

Sniffing away tears (and failing horribly), Yugi pulled him in for a kiss.

* * *

Atem was Matron of Honor at their wedding, and little Kisara the flower girl.

When Yugi walked up the aisle on her grandfather's arm, she looked into Rafael's eyes and had a revelation.

She suddenly wasn't so hurt about always falling into Atem's shadow…

Not when she'd found a man to sit in the shade with her.

**Hurhurhurr. My first one shot for this fandom that isn't Hatshipping (if you wanna know what the hell I am talking about, check out my other works)**

**Also, I've seen this pairing before, but no one seems to have bothered to name it, so I will. **

**Soulshipping. Because... well... the whole soul stealing thing...**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Bathing in Light

**Ah man. Seems like I couldn't stay away from this storyverse. I've honestly fallen in love with this cute, tragic little world I've built. So, I'm presenting you **_**this**_**, Rafael's version of how they met, and the subsequent romance that unraveled. Also, NotEvil!Dartz. **

**AKA, Draconicmaw's become a sucker for Soulshipping.**

**Bathing in Light**

The wind whispered its gentle song through the trees. The verdant leaves were flipped up, bared their pale underbellies, and the air tasted of the rain that threatened on the graying horizons. The petals of the lilies stirred in the gentle gust, as if caressed by a shy finger. Their creamy yellow centers shied from sight as Rafael knelt down, smooth stems in hand.

He brushed a hand along the gravestone. It was a gleaming red granite, the hardiest of igneous rocks, perfect for weathering out harsh winters and pounding rain. Roses were etched onto the flecked surface.

But Rafael knew Mom liked lilies. And that Dad just would've wanted her to be happy.

It'd been years, over a decade, but the tombstones were still pristine. Brushed clean of moss and dirt and dead leaves.

Because Rafael was nothing but diligent.

His siblings, their smaller tombstones alongside their parents', remained in much the same state.

With a slow blink, he remembered the tiny, child-sized caskets.

He stood, and his long jacket flapped against the back of his legs.

The first droplets of rain stained the innumerable stones of the cemetery darker.

Rafael tipped his head back, let the water drip onto him and trickle down his face like tears.

* * *

Rafael watched the man on the other side of the desk with a critical eye.

And the man did the same.

"Mr. Paradius, I had assumed our meeting would be in the strictest of confidence," he murmured, and stared at Rafael pointedly.

Dartz's long frame shifted in his seat with an elegance befitting his stately features. "It is. And I assure you, Rafael is discreet. Pretend as though he is not even there."

After all, even though Dartz knew Rafael would keep his silence, the CEO of Doma Industries had his most-trusted bodyguard sign an NDA.

Rafael crossed his arms. Made sure to flex his muscles just right, just so it was noticeable under his suit.

_It better not be a problem_, his posture said.

The guest gulped. "O-Okay."

Generally, with people like this, Rafael needn't do much more than intimidate, but the various scars marring his body told tales of times when it was not quite so easy.

Not once did he regret taking blade or bullet for Dartz Paradius.

When Rafael had been nothing but the orphaned child of well-to-do parents, Dartz had been the shelter from the storm, the caring wing to duck under.

And Rafael knew he would never be able to completely pay his debt to the older man.

* * *

Valon was a bragger. Hell, Valon just had a loud mouth. No subject was sacred, especially not that of his latest conquests.

"Mate, you should've seen the way she rode me," Valon proclaimed, eyes shining with alcohol, hands poised as if holding a phantom woman's hips.

Alister rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ, can't you find something else to talk about?" He grumbled into the rim of his glass.

Valon snorted. "You're just jealous because _you_ haven't gotten laid in god-knows-when, if at all!"

Rafael only passively listened to them, his attention mostly held by the little bits of foam in the honey-colored liquid before him. "Both of you should shut up," he mumbled.

He'd wanted to go to the bar alone that night. But those two always found _some _way to weasel into his plans.

Valon clicked his tongue. "You're not much better, Raf. You're too much of a tight-ass - and not the good kind - to have a little fun every now and then."

Rafael didn't say anything. His ex-girlfriends probably would have said the same thing.

He was too closed off – he didn't know how to relax – he never talked about himself –

The list of complaints was endless. Warranted complaints, sure, but still annoying nonetheless.

Maybe Rafael just wasn't cut out for a relationship. Maybe he just didn't need one.

* * *

But, somehow, his life felt so empty, so gray.

Like all the light had been leached out.

* * *

It was horrid. The heat was oppressive: the plants – the trees, the grass – wilted beneath the crushing force. And here, in Domino City, where the black asphalt reflected the heat back onto its poor inhabitants, it felt like hell had ascended onto the mortal plane.

It was safe to say that Rafael was endlessly grateful for the thin muscle shirt he wore that day. He walked down the street, towering over the few people who had dared brave the heatwave. Yes, it was ungodly hot out, but sitting inside all by himself seemed so much worse.

But that's when he saw her.

She was sitting on the curb, her back on her vehicle, a water bottle lifted to her lips. Her delicate throat bobbed with each demanding swallow. A tank top clung to her with sweat, and Rafael tried his damnedest not to ogle the slim, pale legs bared by her shorts.

What on earth was she doing?

But then he noticed the vehicle. It was sitting at an awkward angle from being jacked up: one of the tires must have been deflated, and, sure enough, a lug wrench protruded from the wheel on the back-passenger side. All of the other lug nuts sat in a neat line on the curb.

She had a flat tire.

Rafael gulped, watched her stare at her lap, a thoughtful frown on her lovely face. Her eyes were partially hidden by the darkness of transition lenses.

She was so, _so _beautiful.

It was intimidating.

And Rafael scoffed at himself. He'd looked down the barrel of a gun, even took a bullet, and he found a pretty woman intimidating?

But she wasn't just pretty.

She was _gorgeous_.

He bit down his nervousness and approached.

He watched his shadow fall over her. He gulped again. He knew it wasn't just the heat that made his mouth dry. "Need help?" Thank god, his voice sounded somewhat normal.

She looked up. He noticed her suddenly jerk her head higher, and her eyes widened comically.

Her irises were a clear, warm violet.

"Uh, hello," she replied. Sweet, melodic. She looked to her tire. "Yes, actually." Then she looked back up at him and smiled. Her features came alive, nearly surreal, and Rafael could only watch, stunned. "I'm going to politely guess that a behemoth like you has the upper body strength that I lack?"

Her playful bluntness had a smile – no matter how small – twinging at his own lips. It felt strange, foreign, and it made his cheeks ache a little, but he couldn't find it in himself to school his expression. "I'd hope that your guess is correct." Then he knelt down, and he felt her eyes follow him.

"I've got all the lug nuts except for one." She jabbed a slender finger at the tire. "_That _stubborn bastard has been giving me fits." Rafael nodded. It looked as much. Then the woman extended her hand. "I'm Yugi, and thanks bunches for the help."

He blinked down at her tiny hand, discreetly wiped his palm on his jeans, and accepted her handshake.

His hand easily dwarfed hers.

"Rafael. And it's no problem."

He turned to the tire, gripped the lug wrench, but the sensation of her hand in his lingered. He moved to twist the wrench. It didn't budge. He actually found himself straining, teeth gritted, muscles bunching, before he managed to twist the damn thing off.

Yeah, no way in hell a little woman like Yugi would have been able to twist it off herself.

"Sweet baby Jesus!" She exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Rafael laughed. Just what _was _this woman?

He shook his head, moved to pull the hubcap off.

And then Yugi swatted him. Actually swatted him. It barely even stung, but he blinked down at her in surprise.

But her face was bright, grateful. "I can do the rest! You've already been such a big help. I don't want to take up any more of your time, Rafael."

The sound of his name in the tones of her sweet voice made his cheeks heat up a little, and he hoped she attributed it to the unforgiving sun. "Don't worry about it," he found himself saying quietly, "I wasn't really doing anything anyway." He pulled the hubcap off.

Yugi chuckled. "Okay, who am I to argue with one of the Titans of Greek myth. Which one are you, by the way? Prometheus? Chronos? Atlas?"

He laughed again, oddly flattered and totally enthralled by this feisty little woman. He hadn't been this amused and entertained in a _very_ long time. He bit back another guffaw and changed out the tires. He looked back over to Yugi. Her eyes were intense, lingering on his flexing biceps. A slow tendril of warmth coiled low in his belly. She started, made eye contact with him, and she quickly looked away, to something across the street. Her face turned beet red, and she worried her lower lip with her teeth. Her other hand subconsciously tugged at the Dark Magician's scepter dangling at the hollow of her throat.

Fucking adorable.

Rafael finally voiced his burning question as he replaced the hubcap. "You don't have someone for this?" He licked his dry lips. "A boyfriend or something?" Okay, obvious fishing, but just maybe…

Yugi chuckled and fiddled with her ponytail. Her hair was dark and wild, more like a mane than anything resembling human. Rafael found himself wondering about the texture. "Uh, no. Single pringle here."

Rafael barely kept himself from staring at her in surprise.

"I thought about calling my grandfather, but he might actually be shrimpier than myself."

Rafael found himself chuckling again, and he twisted the lug nuts back on. "I wouldn't exactly call you shrimpy." She had some meat on her bones.

"Well, that's high praise from someone as stacked as you," she said with an audible grin. "Or you're just trying to get into my good graces, as if you aren't already."

He looked up at her, beautiful even in all her sweaty glory. "Maybe it's both."

Yugi blushed, lowered the jack, and stored away everything in her trunk. Rafael could only admire how prepared she was, even if she didn't have the strength to finish the job herself.

She closed the trunk and turned back to him. "I know I keep saying it, but, seriously, thanks." She extended her hand, and Rafael shook it. "I don't know how I can repay you."

He shrugged, smiled. Okay, he might as well give it a chance – at least he could say he tried. "You could give me your number."

She gasped theatrically, but she was already digging through her bag. "That was your intention all along! I bet you do this all day, rescuing damsels in distress like some Herculean swain." She found a sticky note pad and scribbled onto it.

"Guilty," he said, and he couldn't help how thick his voice was with amusement. What an eccentric woman. He found her undeniably charming. But still, he felt surprised when she actually handed him the tiny piece of colored paper.

"Well, thanks again, Rafael! You're my savior!" She walked around her car, held up her pinky and thumb, and she wiggled her hand by her ear. "Call me," she mouthed, and she climbed into her car.

She pulled away from the curb, waved her hand out the window.

Rafael stood there, arms crossed. His cheeks hurt with the force of his grin.

* * *

Later that evening, Rafael sat in his apartment and stared at the little scrap of paper. He stared at the boxy, almost childish writing, and he doubted.

God, Yugi was beautiful. What could she possibly want with an awkward oaf like him? Rafael could bet that she had to beat off suitors with a stick.

And she was single.

All his instincts were telling him that it was too good to be true.

She _had_ to have given him a fake number.

He gritted his teeth, shoulders tensed, and he pulled out his phone to dial the number. It was probably for a fucking funeral home or some other random shit.

He held it up to his ear, other elbow braced on his knee. Three rings. Four rings. And then someone picked up. Rafael's fist clenched.

"Hello, Yugi Muto speaking," she chirped.

Rafael froze, eyes wide. "Wow." He blinked. "I honestly didn't expect this."

She… answered. She actually gave him her number.

"Rafael?"

"Uh, yes."

"My hero!" she cried playfully, and Rafael's heart jumped about in his ribcage. Then she paused. "You didn't expect this? What, did you think I would give you a fake number?"

Shit. He chuckled sheepishly, rubbed a hand on his jeans. "Yes."

Yugi gasped. "Why ever?"

He paused. Well, honesty was the best policy. "I don't know if you noticed, but you're incredibly beautiful. You're way out of my league."

He heard her huff out a breath, and her voice was shy. He could _see _the blush on her cheeks. "Well, I could say the same thing about you…"

Something inside him was trembling, but he managed a chuckle. "Sure."

"Hey!" she cried reproachfully. "It's the truth! If you keep offending me, mister, then I may be inclined to hang up!" But her playful tone said anything but.

He knew that he had smiled more today than he had in the last year combined. "Sorry, my bad. I was just surprised when you said you were single."

Yugi's reply was blasé. "Well, I wasn't surprised in the least. I saw it coming a million miles away."

Rafael laughed again. "Well, I honestly didn't plan this far ahead." The decision to call her was entirely impulsive. "I expected to have been calling a mortuary or something."

"You could start if off by inviting me out to dinner," she said quietly.

Rafael's heart pounded in his throat. "Yugi, would you like to go out for dinner?"

"Yes, Rafael, I would love to."

* * *

It didn't even feel real. She looked so cute, and her pink-painted lips looked so kissable.

"So, what do you do?" she asked. She left a cute little lipstick stain on her straw when she took a drink of water.

"I'm a bodyguard. I'm also a bit of a mechanic, but that's just a hobby."

The "Bodyguard" bit often made women balk. They didn't want to date a man who could die any day while he was at work.

But Yugi just nodded. "Bodyguard. Fitting. You could probably just break attackers in half and call it good enough."

Rafael laughed again, and his veins thrummed when he felt her eyes linger on him. He wondered if she knew, if she _knew _that he didn't laugh like this often.

He wanted to know more about this woman, about this enchanting creature who pulled amusement from him as easily as she breathed. "What about you?"

She bit her lip with nerves, though a gentle blush bloomed on her cheeks. "I'm a computer programmer and software developer. And I'm also a bit of a duelist…" An impish grin. "... though that's just a hobby," she parroted his own phrasing back to him.

"A duelist?" He felt himself smiling. He played some Duel Monsters himself, back in the day. "I guessed as much, with that Dark Magician necklace you were wearing. Where did you get it?"

She shrugged comically, shoulders and hands lifted. "No clue. My sister got it for me. We have a matching set."

Rafael's heart grew heavy. "Are you close with your sister?"

Yugi laughed. Her sparkling violet eyes helped to lift his spirits. "Close? We're attached at the hip. My grandpa used to swear that we might as well be the same person. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

He inhaled slowly, and he tried not to look as dark as he felt. "I used to."

But the way Yugi's eyes softened, how she held her hand over her mouth, told him he failed. "I'm so sorry."

When Rafael swallowed, it felt like he was gulping down razors. He tried to shrug it away. "It happened a long time ago."

She shook her head, and her voice was as soft as her warm violet eyes. "That doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. I lost my father when I was five," she murmured. "I barely remember him, but… but I still miss him, you know?"

Rafael nodded. He knew all too well. "I was thirteen. I lost them all in one fell swoop. My sister, my brother, my parents."

Yugi reached forward, set her tiny, warm hand on top of his. Her thumb brushed over his scarred knuckles. Her gaze was so intense, but Rafael couldn't look away. "Do you have any distant relatives?"

Rafael's head jerked a little. "Yes, but we're estranged. After the accident, they just came crawling to get some of my parents' money." It was pathetic; they believed they could swindle a thirteen-year-old out of his inheritance. But he didn't fall for it.

Yugi's little pink lips twisted. "You're better off without them." Her eyes widened in what was admittedly comic horror, and she leaned forward hastily. "I mean the money-grubbers. Not…"

_Your parents._

Rafael chuckled. "I get what you mean." He sighed. "I apologize. This probably isn't the best conversation for a first date."

Because talking about your dead family members was _so conducive _for romance.

Yugi snickered, leaned her cheek on her other hand. The one resting on his remained where it was. "I've found that there's _never _a 'best' conversation for a first date. Trust me, I know."

Rafael felt his brow arching. "Have you dated a lot?"

She didn't seem like the type…

She looked entirely sheepish. "More than I'd like." She chuckled, nervously played with one of her blonde bangs. "I have _really _bad luck with relationships. Most of them ended fairly quickly, and the ones that didn't end quickly went over like a dumpster fire."

Rafael nodded. That was… entirely too relatable. "What was your worst breakup?"

Yugi snapped her finger. "That one's easy. His name was Duke. We broke up because he called someone else's name during sex. My sister's name."

Rafael sucked in air through his teeth. "Ouch." Which was an understatement. He couldn't imagine the pain. "Was he cheating with her?"

Yugi snorted. "No. Atem would never do that to me."

Rafael felt himself freeze. There was only one woman he knew named Atem, and… damn. He should've seen it sooner. "Atem? As in Atem Kaiba?"

"The one and only." And, before his eyes, Yugi drooped, shrink in on herself.

Rafael tried not to frown. What happened? What did he say?

"I've met her before. My boss does dealings with the Kaiba family." Seto Kaiba was a piece of work. Rafael often wondered how he won himself a woman as patient as Atem. "I should have realized that you two were related. You look too much alike."

Though Yugi was softer, like a gentle rain, where Atem had all the intensity of a thunderstorm.

Rafael always enjoyed a nice rain.

Yugi laughed, but it sounded a little strained, and she scratched the back of her neck. "That's us."

Rafael, a trained master at reading people, suddenly realized that she was insecure. "Well, I'm glad it was the pretty sister I found on the side of the road with a flat tire."

Yugi's cheeks blazed, and Rafael's grin only grew wider when she swatted his arm.

Rafael wanted to kiss those pretty pink lips. And he wanted to convince her that she was just as charming and twice as enchanting as her older sister.

* * *

"So you took a cab here?" Rafael asked as they left the movie theater after their third date.

Yugi lifted her shoulders, her nose scrunched cutely. "Yeah. I didn't feel like dealing with traffic tonight."

Rafael smiled down at her, pushed a blonde strand of hair out of her sparkling eyes. "Well, I could give you a ride home," he said.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip, glistening with some sort of gloss. "Didn't you drive your motorcycle here?"

She was so damn _cute_. "Have you ever ridden on one before?"

"No," she murmured shyly.

He grinned wider. "Do you want to?"

She lowered her eyes, dark lashes fluttering like wings. "I mean, I'm a little scared…"

Rafael couldn't take his hand away from her hair. He stroked through the long, wild strands. Her locks were ungodly thick but unbelievably soft. "It'll be fine. I'll be right there, and, I assure you, I'm a halfway-decent rider."

She looked back up at him, and her violet eyes gleamed with warmth and trust. "Okay."

He led her into the parking lot, a guiding hand on the small of her back. The parking lot was dark and lit only by patchy lamps, so Rafael was on his guard. At least being his size reduced the chances of getting attacked, but he still kept his eyes open.

He lifted up the double-seater saddle, where a storage compartment was hidden. He kept an extra helmet in there in case he forgot his own.

"It's a good thing you're wearing a leather jacket," he told her when he handed the helmet to her. "The wind can get a bit chilly."

She pulled the helmet on. It was definitely a little big, but she adjusted the strap until it could go no tighter.

Her glasses made him think of little goggles.

Fucking adorable.

"Where do you live?"

She rattled off her address, described the location to him. He knew the city like the back of his hand, and he could easily picture the exact apartment building in his head.

He smiled down at her. "Ready?"

She nodded. He swung his leg over the saddle, put on his own helmet. Yugi hesitantly climbed on behind him. She sidled close, her chest to his back. With the elevated second seat, she was just tall enough to set her chin on his shoulder.

"Hold onto me," he said.

Her little arms banded around his waist. He started the bike, and the familiar vibrations thrummed through him. Yugi's fingers clenched into the front of his jacket.

"Relax," he laughed. Her shaky breath rattled near his ear.

"O-Okay."

He touched one of her hands. "I wouldn't let you do this if I thought you were going to get hurt," he said.

He felt her nod, and then she loosened a little against him.

Then, they were off.

Even with the whipping wind, Yugi remained a hot brand at his back, her arms wrapped around him, her legs bracketing his own. The city lights streaked by dizzily. They took a turn, leaning and banking, and Yugi laughed.

She melted, relaxed, basking in the freedom.

Rafael's heart pounded, and he burned where he felt her hands on his stomach. They roared around another corner, and, before long, they were rumbling right up to the curb in front of Yugi's apartment building.

He kicked the stand out, leaned the bike into a resting position. Yugi hopped off, tugged her helmet off, and shook her hair out. It still looked frenzied, wind-whipped.

Rafael stood, dismounted. "Did you like it?"

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright. "Yeah!" Her chest heaved with excited breaths.

Rafael felt his cheeks get a little warm, and he put her helmet away. "Let me walk you up," he said, and she nodded enthusiastically.

They were at the bottom step when she turned, set her hands on his chest. "I had a great time, Rafael." She played with the lapels of his leather jacket. "I was wondering… if you wanted to keep doing this." The blush on her cheeks bloomed like lovely roses. "Because I do."

He cupped her cheek, and his hand moved up to stroke that beautiful, wild hair again. She leaned into the touch. And he couldn't help but smile sweetly down at her. "Of course."

Her eyes searched his, fingers still twiddling with his lapels. "Kiss me?"

Breath short, he leaned down, felt her eagerly strain in his arms to meet his lips. It was supposed to be chaste, simple, a sweet goodnight kiss, but lips pressed together became gently mouthing. Her lip gloss was sticky and sweet, and he found himself pressing for more. Her hands stroked his chest, moved up to his hair to grab gentle fistfuls of the blond strands. His own hands gripped her tenderly, one cupping the back of her neck, the other threaded through her hair.

She nipped his lip once, moaned – a delicious whimper that had Rafael's toes curling, and he forced himself to pull away, lest he do something he would end up regretting.

He put his forehead to hers. "I'll see you later, okay?" He whispered, and was stunned by the huskiness of his own voice.

Yugi nodded, tilted her head up and stood on her toes to steal one last kiss. "Yeah, okay." Rafael _really _didn't want to stop touching her, but, before he knew it, they were hesitantly disentangling from one another. "Ride safe."

"Will do. Now get that sweet little ass of yours inside. I want to know you're safe before I go."

Yugi laughed, the red on her cheeks deepening. She walked up the steps and wiggled her butt playfully.

Rafael smirked, rolled his eyes, but waited until the door was closed behind her to walk away.

When he straddled his bike, he made sure to take a moment to let his heart rate settle.

* * *

Rafael couldn't get enough of Yugi, enough of seeing her, enough of touching her, enough of basking in her tender presence like a cold reptile basking in the sun. He squeezed in time for her whenever he could, and she for him; bringing lunch to each other's work, finding time on late nights to meet up and share quick whispers and kisses, breakfasts in the early morning before the day could pick up.

Yugi brought him lunch again. Dartz normally didn't allow guests to come up to the employee break room, but he seemed to make it a point to make Yugi an exception.

She sat close, her arm brushing Rafael's.

He eagerly ate the sandwich she had brought him.

"Y'know, we've seen each other every day of the week for the past two weeks," she noted.

Rafael blinked, thought about it. "You're right."

Yugi sighed contentedly, leaned against his arm, and rubbed her cheek on his bicep like an amorous cat. "I like it."

Damn, he felt so fucking lucky.

He'd never thought he'd have such a beautiful, caring woman as his girlfriend.

"And we have another date tomorrow," Rafael mentioned, grinned to himself.

Yugi's leaned close, pressed her lips to his cheek. The wet smack of lip gloss made Rafael's toes curl. She set her chin on his arm. Those intense violet eyes simply stared at him for a few moments. "You should stay the night tomorrow."

He nearly choked on his sandwich. "What?"

"I'll make breakfast in the morning. We don't have to worry about getting up early because we both have that day off. _And _we were planning on going out that day anyways. We could just spend the whole day together," she said excitedly, listing off all the reasons like a child trying to convince her parents to let a friend stay over.

"Yugi," he laughed. "You don't need to _convince_ me." He touched her cheek, watched her lean in, violet eyes sparkling up at him. "That sounds great. I'll pack an overnight bag."

She smiled, tremulous, anticipatory yet tinged with trepidation. "Good."

He leaned forward, pressed his lips to hers. He softly mouthed her lips, tasted the sticky sweetness of her lip gloss and the gentle flavor of tea on her tongue. She trembled beneath him, even from this simple kiss.

– dear god, Rafael had _never _felt such sexual tension as he did between them –

She gripped the front of his suit, pulled away to set her forehead against his. Her breaths quivered over his lips. "I-I need to get going back to work soon," she stuttered.

"Yeah," he replied, panting too, even though they didn't even do anything strenuous. "Yeah, I do too."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

He dared to press one last kiss to her lips. "Yeah."

* * *

"Ah, man, what a hot piece of tail you got there, Raf," Valon commented later that day. "You tap that yet?"

Rafael only glared at him.

"You might want to get on it, mate. Others might try to snatch her up, if you know what I mean," Valon winked lecherously.

Rafael rolled his eyes. "As if she would go for a guy like you."

"I dunno, mate." He thrusted his hips naughtily. "I could make her cry for it."

Rafael snapped his head over, and he felt the cold fury build in his veins. "Enough."

"Get her pretty legs wrapped around me and she's a goner –" He choked on his next breath when Rafael grabbed him by his throat.

"If you want to keep being able to use your legs for the rest of your life, you'll shut the fuck up, Valon."

"A-Aye, mate."

* * *

They barely walked into her apartment and they were all over one another.

He lifted her up and sat her on the peninsula in the kitchen. She spread her knees to accommodate him, and he eagerly took up the offered space. He gripped her hips, stroked up her sides, as his tongue and lips and teeth painted her neck.

"Listen-" she started, but her breath hitched when he sucked on her neck. "Uhn, Rafael," she breathed out. He reveled in the sound, and in how her thighs jumped when he teethed the sensitive skin. "I'm not… not ready for sex."

Rafael figured as much. Yugi seemed just as guarded as himself, if not more in some aspects.

"That's okay," he said, and the growling quality of his voice stunned him. "I just want to touch you." He panted hotly against her lips. "Can I?"

She melted. "Yes," she mewled, one hand pawing at his hair… "if I get to touch you back." … the other cupping the front of his pants.

He bit his lip, his hips thrusting into her touch. "Deal."

He may or may not have ripped her panties, but Rafael felt as though he more than made up for it throughout the night.

* * *

The smell of bacon and eggs woke him up the next morning. He blinked, took a deep breath. Buried in Yugi's bed, he was inundated by her scent. He groaned happily. She smelled so _good._

And so did breakfast. He was torn.

Which smell should he choose?

The question was answered for him when Yugi peeked in, leaned against the door frame.

Rafael didn't understand. She looked just as radiant in a ratty, oversized T-shirt as she did in anything else.

"Morning, sleepy head. Hungry?" She smiled.

Rafael admired the slender lines of her bare legs. He smirked. "Yes."

She chuckled, oblivious to his attention. "Well, c'mon then, while the eggs are still hot."

He laughed at her. What a dork.

What a lovely, wonderful dork.

She tilted her head, confused, but still enlightened by his laughter.

"C'mere," he grumbled, weakly extended a hand to her.

She smiled, trotted across the room, climbed onto the bed. Rafael tugged her down, his hands cupping her hips. They were bare under her shirt. She sighed happily against his lips when he kissed her. He growled low in his throat, cupped her ass with rapacious intent. She gasped.

The eggs ended up getting cold.

* * *

When Yugi learned that Rafael didn't have any plans for Thanksgiving, Rafael feared the pity that would arise. Instead, she excitedly gripped his arms, her eyes sparkling bright and taking his breath away. "You can come to our Thanksgiving dinner!"

He blinked down at her, and a small smile twisted his lips. "Okay."

She beamed, moved close, hugged him, her face still tilted up to meet his gaze.

God, he loved her.

And now Yugi was driving them to the Kaiba manor. She was tense, unbelievably so, like she would have to break her joints to bend her elbows or rotate her shoulders.

He reached over, touched her hand. He made his smile as reassuring as possible. They pulled into the huge circle drive, and Seto Kaiba's personal bodyguard and driver – Roland, Raphael vaguely remembered – accepted the keys from them.

He touched her cheek with one hand, carded his fingers through her hair with the other. "Relax, baby. It'll all be fine," he said quietly.

She said nothing, only laid her hand over his, traced her thumb over the scars on his knuckles as her eyes searched his face.

He wondered what she saw.

* * *

Rafael felt a bit awkward around Yugi's family, at first. He only knew Seto and Atem from a professional capacity, Mrs. Muto open humor – just like Yugi's – threw him off (especially when she insinuated that Yugi stole him from the zoo), and Mokuba gave him the stink eye all throughout dinner.

– he hadn't had to deal with familial interactions for a very long time –

But, gradually, he found himself relaxing.

Yugi still held his hand under the table though. He couldn't help staring at her. She positively _glowed_ around her family, and he suddenly understood, at least in part, some of her trepidation.

If he didn't get along with her family, he would have to go.

But, thankfully, that didn't seem to be an issue.

And then that fateful announcement came – Atem's pregnancy – and Yugi squealed with such delight, her eyes glassy with jubilant tears, her cheeks flushed with delight.

She muffled the sounds in his shirt, and he couldn't help stroking her hair tenderly. She met his gaze, and he thought, with a tenderness that made his heart ache, that he could spend the rest of his life with this woman.

* * *

Before he and Yugi departed for the evening, Seto pulled him aside.

"I assume that you know about my connections," Seto began, piercing blue eyes unflinching.

Rafael, easily twice Seto's size in muscle mass alone, still felt a cold sweat prickle at the back of his neck. "Yes, I most certainly do."

Seto blinked coldly. "Then you know that if anything happens to Yugi, emotionally or otherwise, no one will ever be able to find you in one piece. Ever again."

Rafael held in a shudder.

Businessman Seto Kaiba was cold and ruthless, but Big Brother Seto was the worst of nightmares.

"I understand. I don't plan on breaking her heart anytime soon."

"Hn." And Seto was walking away, and Rafael slowly followed behind him, back to that grand entranceway where Yugi was reverently cupping Atem's stomach.

Atem laughed. "You're not going to feel anything, you realize. It's far too soon."

Yugi blinked at her. "I know. But I have a niece or nephew in there," she whispered, eyes sparkling. "I'm betting on niece."

"Dear god," Atem groaned, held her face in her hands. "I hope not. Seto would turn her into a spoiled brat. I can just picture it now – his little princess, ugh, kill me."

Yugi laughed. "You know it's gonna be adorable. It seems like any and all Muto women get that man wrapped around their little fingers."

Seto snorted. "That's entirely inaccurate."

Rafael moved close to Yugi, set a hand on her waist. "Ready to go, baby?" he asked quietly.

She beamed up at him. Rafael wondered whether or not he lost time on his life every time she took his breath away. Even so, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yeah."

* * *

The kisses were escalating again. Yugi's small, hot, quivering hands were mapping out his torso under his shirt. Rafael passionately grasped a handful of her hair, arched her up against his body. She mewled her appreciation, braced her hands on his pectoral muscles.

"Rafael," she whimpered, voice trembling like the fingers curling into his chest.

He growled hotly. The sounds she could make alone could undo him, he swore.

"I-I'm ready," she gasped, "I want you to make love to me."

"Gladly," he groaned.

He tried his best to be gentle and slow for their first time together, but, before he knew it, he had her bent in half in his passionate frenzy. "_Yugi_," he growled.

She was arching and writhing beneath him, doing her best to meet his thrusts. She was so _expressive_; her face was a rictus of pleasure, and tears of ecstasy gleamed in her darkened violet eyes. Broken little mewls clawed their way from her throat, just like her nails grasped and dragged at his flexing back.

Even like this – _especially _like this – she exuded such light.

_I'm in love with an angel._

"You're so damn beautiful," he ground out, elbows trembling as he tried to hold himself above her.

Her head thrashed to one side, her spine curling intensely. She was so close, so was he, he didn't even know what he was saying anymore, but he was pretty sure he was just chanting her name like a fervent prayer.

"Mm, mm, Raf-Rafael," and then she was trying to kiss him. But she was breathing too heavily, and she just ended up with her parted lips pressed to his jaw, breathing hotly and sliding and bumping with his relentless thrusts.

She was so _sexy_ – that feverish, aching warmth roaring within him, his heart beating so fast that it was pulverizing itself into a liquid, and she was just mewling his name brokenly, like he was the only thing in their ecstatic little world.

"I love you," he gasped, pressed his face to her temple as it was becoming _too much_. "I-I love you so much."

And then she was bowing and bucking, her lips moving, but nothing coming out, and Rafael rocked her into the mattress with his final, intense thrusts. Finally, she moaned, soft and nearly pained, and they clung to the pleasure, fluttering a bit against one another.

He held himself above her, eyes closed tight, elbows trembling.

Son of a bitch, he probably ruined the moment. And their relationship.

But then her trembling fingers were caressing his cheek. He opened his eyes, She was sweaty and flushed and looking sensually disheveled, eyes bright and cheeks dark and hair messy. She panted and gasped and sighed, tried to catch her breath, but it didn't seem to be working.

The part of him not mortified by what had just happened preened.

"I…" a sweet huff of breath, "I love you, too."

And Rafael laughed. "That's good… it just… came out." The next part came out vehemently. "But it's true."

Yugi giggled and buried her face in his neck.

* * *

The leaves had fallen off the trees, and the wind hissed desolately through bare branches. The grass was washed out of all color, long and mangled and tangled with fallen leaves. Rafael brushed the leaves off the gravestones. He looked up.

The sky was gray again, but, even still, even in the middle of a cemetery, Yugi shined with a blinding light. She perused the headstones with solemn interest, a bare fascination that made Rafael wonder what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. She caught his quizzical glance.

"These were people. They lived their lives. They went to the store, they fell in love, they cried, they ate, they made mistakes," she said quietly. "They all had stories to tell, but no one will hear them anymore."

Rafael shook his head. "You amaze me."

Yugi said nothing, only came to stand at his shoulder where he crouched in front of his sister's grave. Her fingers, covered by little red gloves, brushed the back of his neck and his shoulder.

"When I die," Yugi began, "I want a natural burial."

Rafael frowned. He didn't want to think about Yugi dying.

"All my life, I've taken from this earth. When I ate, when I drank, when I breathed. Some of the molecules I took I never gave back." She played with his hair, and he leaned back into the touch. "I want to give back, you know? Continue being part of the cycle. Maybe my molecules will become part of a tree, or a flower. Maybe an animal." She touched his ear tenderly, but the material of her gloves was ticklish. "Maybe when Buddhists and Hindus talked about reincarnation, that's what they meant. This cycle, never-ending."

Rafael leaned his head back, stared up at his girlfriend. She was gazing out, at the trees and the headstones all around them. The wind gently tugged on her blonde bangs.

And, for the first time in a long while, Rafael cried.

"I love you."

* * *

Maybe his way of proposing hadn't been at all conventional or even romantic, but, in the end, he realized, it didn't matter.

She was walking down that aisle on her grandfather's arm, and, even in that beautiful white dress, she was the brightest thing in the room.

When the tears of happiness rolled down his face, he didn't bother to wipe them away, even when she met his eyes and smiled somehow _shyly_.

He'd be bathing in her light for the rest of their lives.

_**THE END**_

**I'm going to say that this is actually the end. For real this time (but probably not. I might come back to write more for this at a later date. Again. Ughhh I'm a sucker for continuing storyverses)**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed the surprise second installment to this story. And the subsequent Soulshipping involved. **


End file.
